Metadata - Summary of data in the Atlas

The Atlas contains 752 water resources which includes
13 bays
and
508 lakes
and
230 rivers
and
the Gulf of Mexico
.
Data recorded in the Atlas reaches back 117 years, starting on
Monday, January 01, 1900. The most recent data is from Monday, September 25, 2017.
Over 86,360,845 data samples have been included in the Atlas!
The samples came from over 96 data sources provided by
37 different data providers. These
people and
agencies have helped make the Atlas an integral tool for managing
our water resources.

Geographic Information Systems Data

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data consists largely of land mapping and spatial data and
is used in a wide variety of fields. The lay of the land can affect almost every aspect of life,
including an area's culture, government, environment, and commerce, making GIS information
important to everyone. Fields such as anthropology, medical science, and natural science use GIS to
measure and predict the impact of geography on a region. By mapping water resources, the Atlas
provides spatial information useful to citizens, water management professionals, and
scientists alike. The following core datasets are processed as part of geospatial analyses, the
results of which are presented directly within Atlas components:

Monitoring and Sampling Data

Citizens, scientists, and professionals all contribute to monitoring and sampling data in many
ways. Citizens often provide information such as water levels data through volunteer programs.
Scientists and professionals set up equipment at sampling stations for measuring attributes such
as water quality and hydrology. They provide the data in various formats to the Atlas, which
compiles, organizes, and presents the data to help people better understand the county's water
resources.